Konia
Konia is situated 3km to the east of Paphos with its neighbouring villages being Anavargos, Armou, Marathounta and Geroskipou.
There are three versions of where its name is derived from. The first being from ‘konnos’ meaning argil (potters clay) but because of the lack of the resource this is unlikely. The second being from ‘konos’ as there are cone like hills at its east and north horizon. However the third version is the most probably. Konia came from ‘Konya’, a Turkish word for the renaming of the city of Ikonia in Asia Minor where there lived 4000 Greeks. It is therefore thought that Konia’s first inhabitants were in fact Greeks from Asia Minor.
Konia is known for its cultivated mulberries in a small tract of land irrigated by the waters of the only communal fountain, which to a large extent also served the community’s need for drinking water. Silkworms, which fed on their leaves, were raised to be sent to the silk factory in Geroskipou during World War II and its aftermath.
Another important tree to the inhabitants are the tremithies (turpentine trees) as from its fruits oil can be extracted and also used as a food when dried. Moreover, resin (called ‘tremintina’ in the folkloric language) was gathered from scores - caused by axe blows - upon the trunks of large and old trees of that variety. It got filtered and purged of any foreign substances and was then sold to the merchants; after special treatment they produced the well known Mastic (Gum) of Pafos.
Many natural springs have come and gone in and around Konia with the latest being Vasilika, 1km from the village
In the area surrounding the spring and until a few years ago there were Sumac bushes, commonly known as “roudhi”, of which its leaves have antiseptic properties and thus were used in the processing of leather (tanning). The lake where the water of the spring was kept - so as to be later used for irrigation - was known as Tabakhane, which in Greek means ‘tannery’, implying that leaves or branches from the bushes were thrown into the lake’s water so as to prevent the decay of leathers that were intended for commercial use.
Because local agriculture was not able to provide a secure income in order to sustain a family Konia is noted to have a history of its youth going elsewhere for additional work.
//Adapted from konia.org//